At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Wilson of Pennsylvania said:
"The subject of presidential selection has greatly divided the House, and will also divide people out of doors.
It is in truth the most difficult of all on which we have had to decide."

Wilson made the first proposal for popular election of the President. He argued that the power and
independence of the chief executive could be guaranteed only if his power "flowed from the people at large".

The Virginia Plan offered by James Madison and the New Jersey Plan from William Patterson called for the President to be selected by the legislature. Some delegates believed that the direct popular election of the President would be dominated by the larger states.

"A number of proposals, including direct election by the people, by state legislatures, by state governors, and by the national legislature, were considered. The result was the electoral college, a master stroke of compromise, quaint and curious but politically expedient. The large states got proportional strength in the number of delegates, the state legislatures got the right of selecting delegates, and the House the right to choose the president in the event no candidate received a majority of electoral votes. Mason later predicted that the House would probably choose the president 19 times out of 20." Americans.net.

1. How does the Electoral College actually work?

What is the winner-takes-all rule?

2. Based on question 1, who actually elects the President?

What happens if no presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes?

3. How many Electoral votes does your state have?

How is this number determined?

4. How does the Electoral plan empower the smaller states?

5. Has there ever been a "faithless elector" from your state?

Explain whether you support or dispute that faithless elector's decision.

The Yes Men - democracy for sale - Try your hand at this approach to dealing with a problem facing you today.

"All power is originally vested in, and consequently derived from, the people. That government is instituted and ought to be exercised for the benefit of the people; which consists in the enjoyment of life and liberty and the right of acquiring property, and generally of pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety. That the people have an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform or change their government whenever it be found adverse or inadequate to the purpose of its institution." James Madison

Save a tree use a digital answer format - Highlight the text. Copy it. Paste it in a word processing document. Save the document in your folder. Answer on the word processing document in a contrasting color (not yellow) or font (avoid , or other ornate artistic fonts). Save frequently as you work. Submit your assignment via an email attachment or class electronic drop box.

Proof your responses. It is funny how speling errors and typeos sneak in to the bets work.

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